Potato-digger.



W. E. MARTIN.

vPOTATO BIGGER.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. ze, 190e.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Mfnles'ses fluff. M

W. E. MARTIN. PoTATo BIGGER.

APPLIOTION FILED OUT` 29, 19 978,179. 09 Patented Dec. 13,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Imm m'rneoses william EJs/van( ,www d wir;

1NR NuRllls Pmsns to., wAsmNuroN. n. c.

W.l E. MARTIN.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 00T. 2a, 190e.

Patented Dec. 13,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

OOOOOOO W. E. MARTIN. IfoTATo BIGGER. APPLIATION FILED 00T- 29, 1909i.

m5111911 Dec. 13, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

n m P d am M14 lnE. M .m

CIO

IINIT l WILLIAM' E. MARTIN, 0F STANFORD, ENGLAND.

POTATO-DIGG-ER.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDWARD MARTIN, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Stamford, in the county of Lincoln, England,have invented a new and useful Potato-Digger, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to that kind of potato digger in which a number ofradial arms are rotated, each arm carrying a pin on which hangs a rakeor fork.

The objects of the present invention are to construct improved means forretaining these rakes or forks in the desired pendent position and foradjusting such pendent position.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figures 1 and lEL are a side elevation with the near side wheel omitted.Figs. 2 and 2f* are a plan partly in section of the complete machine,and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the forks shown separately. Fig. 4 isa rear elevation of a modified construction of the forks and Fig. 5 is asection through certain parts on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. G is adetail view showing one of the tines adjusted out of the verticalposition. Fig. 7 is a section showing how the tines are fixed to thefork heads.

a is the main frame, Z) is the shaft frame, c is the support for thedrivel-s seat o', d is the main axle, e, e, are the driving wheels, f isthe shaft giving motion to the radial arms g from which hang the forksh.

According to the present invention the machine is provided with a secondset of radial arms 'i which rotate around a pin or axle j which is setbehind but not in a line with the axle or shaft f which carries thefirst set of radial arms g. This pin or axle j is carried in anyconvenient manner. It is preferably carried by an arm a which passesaround one side of the rotating rakes L. The pin or axle y' may,however, be one end of a cranked arm, around another part of whichrotates the first set of radial arms g. The heads of the rakes or forks7L are each provided with a crank L. In the drawings the pin or axle jis shown to one side of the axle or shaft f, in which construction thecrank h is approximately horizontal and the pin h2 fixed to said crankz/ passes through a bearing z" at the end of one of the second set ofrotating radial arms z'. The first set of radial arms g, when rotating,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 29, 1909.

Patented Dee. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 525,363.

causes the second set z' to rotate, and these latter retain the forks Lin approximately a vertical position. It is sometimes advantageous tocause the forks h to assume a position which is not quite vertical. Thisadjustment may be effected by moving the pin or axle j on which rotatesthe second set of radial arms z' with relation to the axis around whichrotates the first set of radial arms g, and for this purpose the pin maybe fixed in a quadrant or guide 7c carried by the said arm a. Angularityof the forks l1. may be caused by other mechanism. As shown in Figs. Iand 5 each of the canks L attached to the fork heads is provided with aquadrant r" at its end, and the pin h2 has means for fixing it in anydesired part of said quadrant 7L".

In Figs. 3 and f1 I have indicated by broken lines the two extremepositions of one of the forks It. In Fi 6 I have shown one prong 7Ladjusted as ar as possible in one direction, the part 11,2 having beenmoved to one end of the quadrant h3.

The pin or axle j around which the second set of radial arms e' rotates,may be set above or below the axle or shaft f around which the first setof radial arms g rotates, or in any other position provided the twoaxles are not in line with each other. The angle of the cranks 7Lattached to the rake heads would be arranged according to the positionsof the two axles.

In constructing the machine I preferably employ bearings consisting of4two parts as shown. The bearings proper f and d', are in the form ofsleeves and are mounted in eyes a2 having a curved interior. Thebearings f, el', are formed with collars which fit against the eyes a2,these latter being bolted in position on the frame a. The eyes a2 areeach formed with a recess to receive a feather d10, f1, formed on theparts d', f, whereby these latter are prevented from rotating.

The prongs of the fork h are fixed in the rake heads, as shown moreclearly in Fig. 7 The rake heads have a vertical part and a horizontalpart, which are both perforated. The prongs have flattened heads whichare also perforated. Each prong is passed downward through a perforationin the hori- Zontal part and is fixed to the vertical part by means of anut and bolt.

To assist in raising the digging forks h out of the ground, the driversseat is prefshown fixed to the rear of the shaft frame Z).

The frame a is pivoted to the rear end of the shaft frame Z), whichlatter is provided with a fixed quadrant Z1 and a long armed lever Z anda short lever Z moving over said quadrant Z2. The short lever Z ispivoted to one end of a link Z2, the other end of which link is pivotedto the front end of the main frame a, which projects in front of thepivots as connecting the main frame a and shaft frame Z). t

In use the two frames a, Z), are practically in alinement, as seen inFig. l, but, by moving the two-armed lever Z, Z, in the 'direction A ofthe arrow the rear of the shaft frame Z) and front of the main frame Lcan be depressed, which action is assisted by the drivers weight, thusraising the digging forks L out of the ground.

l/Vhat I claim is l. In a potato digger, the combination of a drivenshaft, radial arms on said driven shaft, pins carried by the radialrarms, forks hanging on said pins, cranks vattached 'at one of vtheirends to thefork heads, a pin carried by the other end of each crank,bearings to receive said pins and a second set of radial arms mountedeccentric to the said driven shaft and by which said bearings arecarried, and a quadrant carrying the aXle on which the second set ofradial arms rotates whereby the angularity of the forks may be altered,substantially as set forth.

2. In va potato digger, the combination of a driven shaft, radial armson said driven shaft, pins carried by the radial arms, fork headsmounted on said pins and having a vertical part and a horizontal partboth of which are perforated, prongs perforated at their upper endspassed through the perforations in the horizontal part, nuts `and boltsfor fixing the perforated upper portions of the prongs to the verticalpart, cranks attached at one of their ends to the fork heads, a pincarried by the other end of each crank, bearings to receive said pinsand a second set of radial arms mounted eccentric to the said drivenshaft and by which said bearings are carried, substantially as .setforth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of twowitnesses.

W. E. MARTIN.

Titnesses z CLAUDE K. MILLS, WM. GIRLING.

